Work Packages
The activities of the research project are divided in seven work-packages (WPs).
WP1: Project management
Project management includes initiation, development, execution, monitoring and controlling of project related activities. This also includes actions for ensuring quality assurance and for risk management. This WP also foresees regular meetings for coordination of the activities.
WP2: Dissemination activities
Dissemination and exploitation are key elements for the success of the project and will ensure optimal use of the project results outside the core research area. The main form of output dissemination will be presenting the work to the scientific community through conferences of relevant thematic areas and publications to peer-reviewed scientific journals. Particular attention will also be given to the educational activities through awareness raising actions. Finally, important contribution towards relevant standards is expected as a direct result of this work.
WP3: Development of indoor and outdoor infrastructure for testing cell degradation
The WP3 foresees the development of advanced indoor and outdoor testing infrastructure for characterizing innovative perovskite-based solar cells. The techniques that will be developed are Dark Lock-in Thermography (DLIT), Lock-in thermography (LIT), Light Beam induced current (LBIC), and specially-resolved PL, which were chosen for effectively assessing degradation mechanisms in the novel cells by studying their optoelectronic responses. Furthermore, a spatially-resolved Electroluminescence imaging technique will be developed for the extraction of the essential electrical parameters of the perovskite cells. Lastly, a dedicated setup for the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and current-voltage measurements of the devices will be built for deriving accurately the power conversion efficiency of the novel cells, which pose the additional complexity of hysteretic current-voltage behavior.
WP4: Initial cell performance testing and development of accurate protocols for novel cells
This WP firstly foresees the fabrication, encapsulation and delivery of the perovskite-based solar cells by IMEC, who has strong track-record in this field. Upon successful sample development, their initial electro-optic testing will take place partly at IMEC, AIT and UCY-DegradationLab using EQE, I-V, Fourier Tranform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Capacitance-Voltage (c-v) measurements. This will be done as soon as possible after cell fabrication in order to capture the initial state of the samples (prior to any degradation occurring). Furthermore, WP4 will also entail conducting round-robin performance measurements of perovskites using EQE and I-V scans at different operating conditions (light bias soaking, voltage range /scan /rate, etc) for the extraction of accurate characterization protocols of perovskite cells using EQE and IV. These will be conducted between UCY-DegradationLab and AIT.
WP5: Ultrafast and Raman spectroscopy as part of the degradation analysis
For a more complete fundamental spectroscopic anaysis, monitoring of degradation of the perovskite-based cells will also be conducted using ultrafast and raman spectroscopy at UCY. Firstly, the ultrafast spectroscopy with femtosecond resolution and Raman spectroscopy infrastructure will be customized for the needs of testing perovskite-based cells. Then, transient ultrafast spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence of the cells will be performed by UCY-LUS and Resonance Raman Spectroscopy at the UCY-LMS laboratory. The aim will be to conduct these measurements before and after outdoor exposure of the cells at regular intervals (WP7) to give an insight towards possible degradation mechanisms. Ultrafast spectroscopy will assist in understanding carrier dynamics in those innovative cells and in determining the carrier losses and the change in electrical parameters due to outdoor exposure of cells. Knowledge of the carrier losses of the cells is important since radiative and non-radiative processes of the cells affect the performance operation of the cells. Resonance Raman spectra from these cells will provide valuable direct structural information of possible degradation products. Consequently, the indoor characterization in this WP will provide useful information for ultimately optimizing cell performance. This work package will be led by the UCY-LUS of the HO.
WP6: Indoor characterization of novel cells using a range of advanced techniques
WP6 is the main work package on indoor testing of perovskite cells where a number of different advanced techniques developed in WP3 will be utilized. Namely, LBIC, DLIT/LIT, spatially-resolved EL and spatially-resolved PL will be used for the spectroscopic investigation of the cells fabricated by IMEC. Firstly, initial indoor testing of the cells will be conducted following the first ultrafast and Raman measurements taken (in WP5). This will establish the initial status of the cells prior to exposure to outdoor environmental stresses. Then, following each outdoor exposure (in WP7) of the cells and the subsequent batch of ultrafast and Raman measurements, multi-way investigation by repeating the indoor testing will be performed at the UCY-DegradationLab. Capacitance-Voltage measurements in some samples after degradation due to outdoor exposure will also be performed by AIT I order to compare changes from the initial c-v evaluation in WP4. Finally, structural analysis at the end of the indoor-outdoor testing for microscopic investigation of failure mechanisms will be performed at MPL. For this purpose, TEM, SEM, XRD, XPS and EDX will be used at the partner laboratory for a full structural characterization of the degraded cells.
WP7: Outdoor testing of novel cells
The objective is to produce a platform that will receive the data from the aggregating software and use it for the betterment of the grid operator. In Cyprus, the platform will be integrated to the existing DSO management system, administered by the EAC that will benchmark the solution based on predefined KPIs that safeguard the stability of the grid by aiding in reducing spinning reserve. In Israel it will aid in mitigating voltage issues on the grid. In WP7, outdoor testing will be undertaken for the comparison of the performance of the cells in real conditions and investigation of the outdoor degradation mechanisms. Several cells with different structural characteristics will be placed side-by-side on an accurate solar tracker each season and current-voltage characteristics of each one will be taken at regular intervals over approximately three months (this may change depending on degradation rates observed). The solar cells will be encapsulated for protection of the cells from environmental exposure. Electronic properties of the cells such as open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, fill factor and efficiency will be collected alongside with environmental and spectral irradiance data. It is envisaged that through these measurements the parameters that degrade the efficiency at the different cells and at each season will be extracted. A detailed analysis of the performance of the cells as a function of the spectral resource, temperature and humidity is expected to reveal additional useful information. Comparisons between the performances of the cells operating at different seasons will be undertaken in order to demonstrate the seasonal dependence of the degradation mechanism. The work in this work package will be undertaken by the UCY-PVlab.